Mumbai crime: 2 dentists booked after assistant dies by suicide

Anamika Kalbandi, 36, died by suicide in her hometown in Ratnagiri last month. Representation pic

Pant Nagar police have booked two dentists on the charge of abetment of suicide, after 36-year-old woman killed herself following alleged harassment by the duo. They filed the case against Dr Sudhir Ramanna and Dr Deepika Dalal on the complaint of the deceased's sister, Neeta Bendre.

Police have not arrested them yet. The deceased has been identified as Anamika Kalbandi, a resident of Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar. She had a troubled marriage, as her husband would beat her up when drunk. Neeta alleged that Dr Ramanna, who runs Smera Dental Clinic in Ghatkopar, took advantage of this and made advances on Anamika, who worked as a dental assistant.

Rejected doctor's advances

"Last Diwali, when we met at Badlapur, she told me that Dr Ramanna was harassing her after he learnt about her marital troubles. Anamika said she had rejected his advances," Neeta told mid-day. Later, due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Anamika was asked to leave Dr Ramanna's clinic, and she joined another clinic before working with Dr Dalal at her Mulund clinic.

In the police statement, the family has alleged that Dr Dalal used to take Anamika's phone and send messages to Dr Ramanna, who filed a non-cognisable harassment complaint against her in November. Neeta said they still don't know the contents of the messages.

"My sister used to say that Dr Ramanna has a video of her, which he showed to her husband. The messages that Dr Dalal sent from Anamika's mobile phone to Dr Ramanna added to her marital woes. It was their torture that led to her death," said Neeta.

‘She feared he would kill her'

"She was scared. She used to say Dr Ramanna will kill her, and that he has taken her signature on a blank paper. To calm her down, we took her to our relative's place in Badlapur where she stayed for 15 days. On January 28, Anamika called me and asked to leave my place, saying Dr Ramanna will kill all of us. I tried to reason with her, but she was too scared. I told her to go to our hometown in Ratnagiri," the complaint read.

Anamika hanged herself to death in her hometown in Ratnagiri on January 29. Her family filed a complaint at Pant Nagar police on February 2, alleging that Dr Ramanna and Dr Dalal tortured Anamika and that is the reason she killed herself.

Pant Nagar police booked the duo under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC on February 9. mid-day tried to contact both the doctors. Dr Ramanna's phone was switched off, while Dr Dalal's assistant said she was out of town and not reachable.

29 Jan
Day Anamika Kalbandi died by suicide